News and commentary about the reigning royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco -- and the former European monarchies as well.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Can reality TV sink any lower? In a word: yes. Apparently, Francis Mathews, the son of Princess Olga Andreevna of Russia and Tom Mathews, is playing a prince on TV ... Prince Alexander .. on the Ukrainian edition of the Bachelor. Spare me, please.

Francis, a freelance photographer, is a British commoner. His mother is a descendant of a morgantic marriage. He is not a Romanov, nor is he a prince, but he apparently plays one on TV - and 25 luscious Ukraine babes are being suckered into a fractured fairy tale.

I cannot believe Ukraine television viewers are that gullible. I know times in the Ukraine are truly tough, but it is necessary to foster a false identity for someone who is British and a commoner.

Don Carlos's recent manifesto "promising to confirm to the Spaniards all their present civil and religious liberties," is being seen as a "direct bid" for the throne, reports the New York Times.

The manifesto's declaration is also being interpreted as a "prelude to a proposal of marriage" of Don Carlos' son, Jaime, and the Princess of Asturias, the elder daughter of the late King Alfonso XII of Spain. This marriage would take place "in the event of no heir to the throne being born."

It is said that Carlists and Spanish monarchists would welcome "such a settlement with acclamation," as it would end 50 years of conflict in Spain.

Prince Jaime was born June 27, 1870. The Princess of Asturias, whose christian name is Marie de las Mercedes, was born on September 11, 1880.

King Alfonso XII died on November 25. His illness was first reported on October 20. At that time, the Spanish court were "much alarmed by his paleness, lassitude and enunciation." Several days later, the king was feeling much better and attended the Autumn race meeting in Madrid on October 25.

Late on the afternoon of November 24, the Spanish Minister in Washington received a dispatch from the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Madrid stating that the King was ill with "a violent disorder of respiratory organs."

King Alfonso XII died the following morning. The cause of death of was "consumption accelerated by dysentery."

Queen Maria Cristina was said to be "completely prostrated by his death."

The king's elder daughter, Mercedes, "will be queen" under a regency headed by Queen Maria Cristina, according to a telegram from Madrid. It was not publicly known at the time of Alfonso's death that his wife was pregnant with the couple's third child, which is why it was assumed that Maria Cristina would act as a regent for the young Queen Mercedes. But as Queen Maria Cristina was pregnant, the succession to the throne would have to wait until she gave birth. The birth of a third daughter would make Mercedes the Queen Regnant, while the birth of a son would mean a new king, and Mercedes would remain as the Princess of Asturias until her younger brother married and fathered a legitimate heir.

By cable to the Chicago Tribune. There are now "semi-official denials" of problems between Queen Wilhelmina and her husband, Prince Hendrik. The situation is said to be "entirely mendacious."

A month ago, the Tribune and other newspapers reported that the couple "did have serious differences" and are now said to be "gravely estranged."

The Dutch people are siding with their young queen, and Prince Hendrik "dates not show himself in public, so widespread and passionate is the feeling of resentment."

The former Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin "has taken no pains to conceal his contempt" for the Dutch, and would "doubtless cheerfully accept a lump sum by way of solatium for retirement into private life in Germany."

The Prince consort has already sent "a complete statement of his case" to Kaiser Wilhelm II, but the German Emperor is unlikely to get "interfere actively" in the Netherlands.

Hendrik's list of complaints are in order of importance: His wife's "stinginess in the matter of money," her decision to "keep him in a subservient position," and the attitude of the Dutch government, who treat him "as a person of no importance."

The prince's position is very similar to that of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who married Queen Victoria in 1840. Albert was, however, a "man of intellect." The British never loved Albert, but they "learned to respect him."

Unfortunately, Prince Hendrik does not possess "the qualities absolutely indispensable" to maintain his position as the husband of a Queen Regnant. Thus, it was inevitable that there would be trouble between the Queen and her husband.

Archduke Heinrich of Austria, is said to be near death, and is unconscious, according to the New York Times. His morganatic wife, Baroness Waldeck, has died "of inflammation of the lungs," and the archduke is "dying from the same disease.

Miss Daphne Fitzgeorge, the daughter of the late Colonel George William Augustus Fitzgeorge, is to marry the Earl of Cottenham, according to an announcement in London.

[The Marquise de Fontenoy got her facts wrong. George Daphne Fitzgeorge's fiance was George Foster Earle, son of Mr. J. Hudson Earle of Cottenham. The couple were married on December 9, 1915 at St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square. The bride was given away by her brother, Lieutenant G. Fitzgeorge, RN. She wore, according to The Times, "a gown made in the early Victorian style, and carried an old-fashioned posy of flowers. She was attended by three children, Lady Bridget Poulett, Master Norman D'Arcy and Master Michael Smiley, all of whom were "dressed in Kate Greenway style." Among the gifts was a "silver fruit basket sent by the Queen."]

George Fitzgeorge was the eldest of three sons of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, and an actress Louisa Fairbrother. Prince George married Louisa at the Church of St. John at Clerkenwell in 1847, but the marriage was invalid due to the Royal Marriages Act. Neither Louisa nor the couple's three sons could share in the Duke of Cambridge's "honors or prerogatives." The three sons had the surname Fitzgeorge.

The late Duke of Cambridge was Queen Victoria's first cousin, and Queen Mary's uncle.

The Marquise de Fontenoy is also reporting that Prince Waldemar, the eldest son of Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia, "has been brought back from the front in France to his parents' home so gravely ill that he is not expected to recover."

Princess Henry is the former Princess Irene of Hesse and By Rhine. She is the sister of Princess Louis of Battenberg, who lives in England, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Russia and Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine.

Prince Waldemar, 26, has always been in delicate health. He spent a large part of his youth in "sanitaria and thermal resorts." His "lack of stamina and health and general debility" have been ascribed to the fact that "his parents were too closely related, being first cousins," and grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

The prince has always "conveyed the impression of frailty." He "wears glasses, which do not go well" with the military uniforms he usually wears. Although he has the rank of captain in the Prussian army and of "commander in the imperial navy," Prince Waldemar has never seen a day of "actual service" with either branch.

This "differs in respect" to other male members of the Prussian royal family, "who are subjected to the most severe and arduous training of either a military or naval character."

Prince Waldemar enjoys automobiling and has become president of the Imperial Automobile Club. Members of this organization have put their automobiles at the "disposal of the emperor for military purposes." As the head of the volunteer services, Prince Waldemar "has been at the front in France," either with his uncle, Kaiser Wilhelm II or at the headquarters of Crown Prince Wilhelm.

Waldemar is said to have been under "constant strain and excitement," and this has become far too much for him. His health has "given away" and the "general impression is that he has been taken home to Kiel to die."

Countess Elfriede Taveggi arrived last week from Europe to New York on board the Ryndam, reports the Marquise de Fontenoy. The Countess is related to the Hohenzollerns, a member of the Italian nobility, and "a native of Hoboken, New Jersey."

Elfriede is the daughter of Theodore Heitmeyer, a native of Hoboken, who began his career as a "poor apprentice boy in a tannery and died at the head of one of the greatest leather concerns in America." The firm became an international concern, and, until the outbreak of the world war, the firm had offices in England, Germany and Austria.

The countess and her husband, Count Gioacchino Taveggi, live in Kripp on the Rhine near Bonn, where the count is "in charge of the Heitmeyer leather interests."

Count Gioacchino lived for many years in America, and "underwent many hardships and followed many trades, including those of riding master and wine tout," before he met and fell in love with Theodore Heitmeyer's daughter, Elfriede.

The late Theodore Heitmeyer is the grandson of the late Princess Friederike of Hohenzollern, who died in 1906. She was the aunt of the late King Carol of Romania and the Countess of Flanders.

Princess Friederike's mother was Antoinette Murat, who married Princes Karl of Hohenzollern in 1808. The wedding ceremony took place at the Tuileries, and the bride was given away by Emperor Napoleon, "who just before the wedding had created her a princess of France."

Princess Friederike married her cousin, the Marchese Joachim Pepoli, at Bologna in 1844, the son of Marie Letizia Murat and Guido Taddeo Marchese Pepoli.

The Pepoli family are one of the "very old patrician families of Bologna." The Marchese took "an active part in the wars of 1848 and 1849 against the Austrians," that eventually led to to the "transformation" of the various states into the kingdom of Italy. Friederike and her husband had one child, Countess Antoinette Pepoli, who married Count Carlo Taveggi. They had two children, a daughter who married Baron Geyr von Schweppenberg, who was killed last spring at the front in France.

Antoinette's son, Count Joachim Taveggi, after "all sorts of financial reverses in Europe," came to the United States, where he met and married Miss Elfriede Heitmeyer. They have several children, including a son, Robert, and daughter, Antoinette.

Until his married, Count Taveggi received an allowance from his grandmother, Princess Friederike, "through the German Embassy" in Washington, D.C.

The Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Edward VII, was jeered today by a crowd of unemployed people, reports the Associated Press. The jeering crowd was "egged on by the Social Democratic party," and "mustered in strong forced around the church army tents off the Strand today."

The crowds "jeered and hooted" the princess who "performed the ceremony of dedicating the tents," which were a gift from the King. Queen Alexandra's fund donated $5000 "to house and feed great number of the unemployed who are to chop wood for their relief."

The crowd became "so boisterous" that the police had to be called "to disperse them."

The Duke of Teck was thrown from his horse today, reports the New York Times. He was hunting near Nantwich, Cheshire, when his "horse struck a barbed wire-topped fence, and the Duke pitched violently on his head."

According to the reports, the duke "sustained a concussion of the brain and an injury to his hip." His doctors state that the "injuries are not alarming, and they hope for the Duke's recovery in a few days."

The Duke of Teck is the brother of the Princess of Wales. He was born at Kensington Palace on August 13, 1868, as the second child of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, and Prince Franz, Duke of Teck. He succeeded his father, as the 2nd Duke of Teck, in January 1900.
Princess Mary Adelaide, who died in 1897, was the youngest child of the Duke of Cambridge, seventh son of King George III.

The Duke was married in December 1894 to Lady Margaret Grosvenor, third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster. They have three children.

Monday, November 28, 2011

"Philomena is a very sweet, curious baby who rarely cries, and has the largest brown eyes in the world," says her proud papa, Alexander, the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Princess Philomena was born on July 22, 2011, the second daughter of Prince Alexander and his second wife, Nadja, who told reporters: "The most emotional moment of Philomena's birth is surely the moment when I first cradled her.

The couple's older daughter, Princess Felipa, will celebrate her third birthday on December 1.

The Schaumburger Zeitung's reporter writes that the "little princess has captured the hearts of her parents," and they enjoy every minute with their daughters.

In the evenings, Prince Alexander plays the piano before his daughters are put to bed. He is a passionate musician, and apparently his elder daughter has inherited his talent. "We suspect she has talent ... if this turns out, she will soon get music lessons."

Alexander and Felipa, who is already in kindergarten, also enjoy playing with Legos and other toys.

The Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe's only son, Hereditary Prince Heinrich-Donatus, will celebrate his 18th birthday next May. He is in his final year of high school, and his plans are to study business and economics at a foreign university, although the plans for which school have not been finalized.

The entire family will be at Schloss Bückeburg for Christmas, but on most days the "blended family" live in separate places. The Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, a lawyer, lives in Munich with Felipa and Philomena. Heinrich attends a boarding school in Switzerland, but spends most breaks with his mother, Princess Lily of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, who lives in Milan with her second husband.

Prince Alexander spends at least three days a week, as a "commuter father," dividing his time between Bückeburg and Munich. The family released several photos of Philomena to the media, but pointed out that there "will be no further photos of Princess Philomena."

The princess will be baptised according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church on December 11. She is named for Princess Nadja's great-grandmother. The Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is Lutheran, and the Princess is Roman Catholic. They decided that their daughters would be raised Roman Catholic, and their sons Lutheran.

Luxembuerg Privat, a tabloid, apparently has an exclusive: Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, the alleged Belgian girlfriend, has initiated a lawsuit against the French magazine, Point de Vue, for allegedly violating her privacy by publishing two photos of her in a recent issue. According to Privat reporter, the countess did not challenge the actual story, which reports that she and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume have been dating for the past two years.

If the countess has decided to take legal action against Point de Vue, one wonders how serious is her relationship with Guillaume. She had to know that it was only a matter of time before the press found out, and a photographer would snap a photo of her. But why draw so much attention to herself? Most of the European press are not going to be that interested in the future Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. (I might be because of my next book, but that's another subject.)

The Belgian press will obviously be interested. Stéphanie, 27, is a Belgian national, a member of the most prominent Belgian noble families. She and Guillaume are distant cousins. Very distant. Guillaume's grandfather, Grand Duke Jean married Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium, thus setting a precedent for his grandson to bring home a Belgian bride.

But on average, the paparazzi are not going to be flocking to Belgium to catch a glimpse of a possible future bride of the heir to Luxembourg throne.

The Grand Ducal Palace has not publicly acknowledged that Stéphanie is Guillaume's girlfriend. This lawsuit may be a bigger hurdle for Guillaume and his family to digest, and Countess Stéphanie may regret her decision.

Unless of course, she has decided she is not love with Guillaume, and does not want to be his wife. We shall see.

It also should be noted that there has not been a public acknowledgement of the lawsuit.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Is the cat out of the bag .. or not. Point de Vue, the weekly French largely royal magazine, has a story in it's latest issue that is caught the attention of the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Court.

The magazine is stating that Countess Stephanie de Lannoy is indeed Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume's girlfriend. In a recent interview to commemorate his 30th birthday, Guillaume acknowledged that he is in a serious relationship with a Belgian girl.

Stephanie, 27, is certainly a Belgian girl. She is the youngest of eight children of Count Philippe de Lannoy and Alix della Faille de Leverghem. Her great-grandfather was Lord Chamberlain to the Belgian court.

Guillaume and Stephanie first met at a ball hosted by Guillaume's great aunt, Princess Alix, the Dowager Princess of Ligne at Chateau de Beloeil.
Stephanie's paternal grandmother was born Princess Beatrix de Ligne.

Stephanie has a degree in German philology from Louvain university and a master's degree from Berlin. She is fluent in French, German and Russian, according to the Point de Vue article.

A reporter from the Luxemburger Wort contacted the Grand Ducal palace for a comment on the Point de Vue article. The response was not surprising: "We do not comment on rumors."

The de Lannoys are one of the oldest of Belgium's oldest noble families.

Princess Beatrix was the younger sister of Eugene, Prince de Ligne, the father of Antoine, Prince de Ligne, who married Princess Alix de Ligne. This means Stephanie's father, Count Philippe, is a first cousin of the late Prince Antoine.

The present Prince of Ligne, Prince Michel, is a first cousin once removed to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and a second cousin to Countess Stephanie.
Michel's youngest brother, Prince Lamoral, is married to Countess Minthia de Lannoy, a member of a junior branch of the family.

There might even be an American connection (albeit distant) to the Delano family (as is Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose mother Sara was a Delano. One of the Pilgrims was a Dutchman named Philippe de Lannoy, whose named was anglicized to Delano.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thierry Gaubert, the estranged husband of Princess Helene of Yugoslavia, was indicted today in Paris for witness tampering, charged with putting pressure on his wife.

In early September, Princess Helene appeared twice before the court as a witness against her husband in the Karachi affair. Her evidence "proved very embarrassing for her husband." The couple are seeking a divorced.

In interviews with the police and with the press, the princess spoke several times of the pressure put on her by her husband.

"It started after the house was searched in July. He expected me to be called in by the police. Them he told me: if you talk, you will not see the children. If I sink, you sink with me."

Gaubert inundated his wife with text messages, and he made it clear that he was furious with her.

Brazilian newspapers are reporting the engagement of Princess Paola Maria Sapieha and Prince Constantin Swiatopolk-Czetwertynski. The couple are members of two Polish princely families, but neither live in Poland.

They actually live in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and plan to marry next year at the Cathedal in Petropolis. Princess Paola, a stunningly gorgeous blonde, works as a model in Brazil, and Prince Constantin, a photographer, is known professionally as Tinko Czetwertynski.

Paola, born in 1983, is the daughter of Prince Jean Sapieha and Princess Cristina de Orléans-Braganza, one of six children of the late Prince Dom Pedro de Alcantara de Orléans-Braganza and Princess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies. Princess Cristina is a first cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain, as their mothers were siblings. Her sister, Maria da Gloria, was first married to Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia. They have three sons, Peter, Alexander and Philip, who are Paola's first cousin.

Prince Constantin is the son of Prince Michel, who once served as Belgium's ambassador to Brazil, and his first wife, Kristina Sigurdsson. He was born at Brussels in 1978.

Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg died earlier today at Schloss Fischbach. She was 89 years old. The Princess was the second child of the late Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and her husband, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma.

It was on November 22, 1955 when Grand Duchess Charlotte announced the engagement of Elisabeth to Franz, Duke of Hohenberg, a grandson of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie von Chotek. The marriage took place on May 9, 1956 at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg.

More than 100 members of European royal families were present for the Roman Catholic Ceremony. Princess Elisabeth, then 33, wore a "white silk dress with a high neckline and long veil of Brussels lace. After the ceremony, the couple left the cathedral to cheers from the crowd. She acknowledged the cheers "by waving her bouquet of white orchids and orange blossoms."

The Princess is survived by her two daughters, Duchess Anita of Hohenberg and Sophie Baroness de Potesta, and seven grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, and her sisters, Princess Marie Gabrielle, Countess of Holstein Ledreborg and Princess Anne, Dowager Princess de Ligne.

Princess Elisabeth will be buried at Schloss Arstetten. A funeral mass will be held at St Michel's church in Luxembourg. The date will be announced later.

The Princess of Leiningen is survived by her husband, Ernst, and their two children, Princess Alberta, and Hereditary Prince Emich, who is married to Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. and three grandchildren, Princess Viktoria, Prince Emich Ernst and Prince Karl of Leiningen. She is also survived by her brothers, Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden, and Prince Karl of Baden, and her sister, Alexandrine, the widow of Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Queen Victoria and her family were unable to travel to Karlsruhe of the wedding. But on September 12, 1858, the Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied by Princess Alice, Helena, and Louise, and Prince Arthur, traveled from Balmoral to Abergeldie, and "honoured with their presence a fete" given by the Duchess of Kent, in honor the marriage of her grandson, the Prince of Leiningen with Princess Marie of Baden.

The newlyweds arrived in London from Dover in mid-October. They were met by Lord James Murray at "the terminus of the South-Eastern Railway at London-bridge, and attended them to the Paddington station." The "illustrious party" boarded a Great Western Railway to Windsor, where they were taken to Frogmore to visit the Duchess of Kent. The Prince and Princess were to spend most of their married life in Britain, as the Queen was fond of her nephew and his wife.

On October 21, Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort "walked in the Home Park" and visited the Duchess of Kent. The British sovereign and her husband also visited with the Prince and Princess of Leiningen. The young couple were guests at a dinner at Windsor Castle on October 23 in honor of the Portuguese Minister and Countess de Lavradio.

The young couple stayed for more than a year with the Duchess of Kent, and often dined with Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. At Christmas, they traveled to the Isle of Wight, and stayed at Anglesa Villa, but also visited the royal family at Osborne.

On November 12, 1859, the Prince and Princess of Leiningen were apart of a dinner party at Windsor Castle in honor of Prince and Princess Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia. The Princess was Victoria's eldest child, the Princess Royal. The Leiningens were still staying with the Duchess of Kent for the New Year's celebration in 1860.

The Princess of Leiningen arrived at Buckingham Palace from Frogmore on February 14, 1860 to visit Queen Victoria. Later that day, Princess Alice and the Princess of Leiningen visited Westminster Abbey.

The Prince and Princess remained in Great Britain for more than a decade and did not move to Leiningen until after the births of the couple's two children. They were very much a part of Victoria's inner circle, and were with the family when the Duchess of Kent died in and the Prince Consort on December 14, 1861. The Times noted that the "Prince and Princess of Leiningen were with their illustrious relatives during all of this mournful and most trying period."

The Princess of Leiningen was one of three sponsors of the infant son of Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his wife, Countess Gleichen. The baptism took place at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, on February 19, 1863. The other two sponsors were the Prince of Wales and Captain William Frederick Seymour, the Countess Gleichen's brother. The Princess of Leiningen was unable to attend the baptism and was represented by Miss Emily Gore.

It was on Christmas Eve, 1863 at Osborne, when the Princess of Leiningen gave birth to a daughter, who was named Alberta.

Princess Marie gave birth to a son at Osborne House on January 18, 1866. He was baptised on February 10 at Osborne in the presence of Queen Victoria, Princesses Helena, Louise and Beatrice and Prince Leopold; the Prince and Princess of Leiningen and Princess Alberta of Leiningen; the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Prince and Princess Hermann of Hohenlone-Langenburg.

The infant prince's sponsors were the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the Grand Duke of Baden, represented by Prince Hermann of Leiningen and Prince Eduard of Leiningen, represented by the Prince of Leiningen.

The Princess was one of the sponsors of Princess Maud of Wales, the fifth child of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The baptism took place on Christmas Eve, 1869 at Marlborough House. Princess Marie was unable to attend, and was represented by Princess Claudine of Teck.

For twelve years, the Prince of Leiningen was the commander of royal yacht Victoria and Albert. He relinquished his command in May 1877. It was at this time when the Prince and Princess of Leiningen returned to live in Germany.

In April 1880, when Queen Victoria and Princess Beatrice were in Baden Baden, Princess Marie came to visit them "direct from Karlsruhe."

By the spring of 1884, the Princely couple were back in England, visiting Victoria at Windsor Castle. The following summer, the Princess of Leiningen stayed with Victoria at Balmoral and Windsor. The Prince and Princess were at Osborne in July 1885, and were among the guests when Victoria's youngest child, Princess Beatrice, married Prince Henry of Battenberg. The Prince and Princess were in the seventh carriage along with the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

The Prince and Princess remained in Britain for several years. In July 1886, the couple attended a State Ball at Buckingham Palace. They were accompanied by their 22-year-old daughter, Princess Alberta. The Leiningens were also present for the Queen's Jubilee in 1887.

The Princess of Leiningen left Windsor Castle on July 3, 1887 to return to Germany. They returned to Windsor in May 1889, again with their daughter, Alberta. The Prince and Princess and Princess Alberta, returned to Windsor in summer of 1890 and were at Osborne in August 1891. In June 1892, the Princess of Leiningen spent the summer with Queen Victoria at Balmoral and Windsor. She returned to Balmoral in May 1893, spending time with Victoria, who was certainly very fond of her nephew's wife. The Prince of Leiningen joined his wife when the royal party returned to Windsor in June.

This was repeated again in 1894, when the Princess of Leiningen returned to Windsor Castle and Balmoral to visit with the aging Queen Victoria.

The Leiningens remained in Germany in 1895, but the Prince of Leiningen was present for the baptism of Prince Albert of York at the Church of St. Mary, Sandringham on February 17, 1896. The infant Prince was the second son of the Duke and Duchess of York. The following May, the Princess of Leiningen was back at Windsor Castle and Balmoral to stay with the queen.

The Princess of Leiningen was again the guest of the Queen at Windsor. This was the final year that the Princess visited England.

On November 23, 1899, The Times reported that the Queen "as received the sad intelligence of the death of Her Majesty's dear nice, the Princess of Leiningen, which has caused her deep grief, as the Queen was devotedly attached to the Princess, who had often visited Her Majesty, and was beloved by all her knew her. The Princess of Leiningen, who was the sister of the Grand Duke of Badem and the Duchess Alexandrine of Coburg, was married to the Queen's nephew, the Prince of Leiningen."

Kaiser Wilhelm II was at Windsor when Marie died. Queen Victoria did not dine with her guests due to Marie's death, and the bands that were scheduled to play at the dinners were cancelled. To Queen Victoria, Marie was known as Molly.

Former Queen Sophie of Greece, widow of King Constantine, "underwent a successful operation today at Frankfurt-am-Main. The Associated Press reports that her doctors say that her "condition gave no cause for alarm."

Queen Sophie, sister of former Kaiser Wilhelm II, arrived in Frankfurt several days ago from her home in Florence, Italy. She is at the clinic of Dr. Carl von Noordon. The surgery was performed by Professor Schmeden.

King Constantine lost the throne in 1924. Since then, Queen Sophie has been living in Florence "in seclusion."

Sophie's eldest daughter, Princess Helen, the divorced wife of King Carol II, was able to spend some time yesterday with her ten-year-old son, Crown Prince Michael. The princess was en route to her mother's bedside.

The visit was for fifteen minutes and took place at the train station at Sinaia, where Michael is staying. He "threw himself into his mother's arms," and was "scarcely able to tear himself away" when Helen had to leave.

Here is the latest bulletin from Apeldoorn regarding the health of Queen Wilhelmina. She has not left her room, but "her condition has improved." She is visited by her physician once a day, but the queen will "require a great deal of rest."

Friday, November 18, 2011

Archduke Sandor of Austria, eldest son of Archduke Dominic of Austria and his first wife, Engel von Voss, will be married tomorrow (Saturday) in at the Minorten Church in Vienna. The bride is Herta Margarete Reyländer. The couple were married in a civil ceremony on December 24, 2010 at Schloss Hunyadi in Maria Enzerdorf, Austria. Herta was born on February 19, 1961 at Mistelbach, Lower Austria. She is the daughter of Josef Rudolf Reyländer and Margaretha Marie Katharina Schweinzer.

This is the second marriage for both the bride and the groom. Their first marriages were civil marriages only followed by civil divorces.

The wedidng will be followed by a "traditional agape of bread and wine," and a reception at the Palais Hotel.

Archduke Dominic is the younger son of the late Princess Ileana of Romania and Archduke Anton of Austria.

Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, youngest child of Count Philippe de Lannoy and his wife Alix della Faille de Leverghem. Count Philippe is the eldest son of the late Count Paul de Lannoy and Princess Beatrix de Ligne. Another member of the de Lannoy family, Countess Minthia is married to Prince Lamoral de Ligne, youngest son of Princess Alix of Luxembourg.

Prince Lamoral and Grand Duke Henri are first cousins.

This is all pure specualation on the part of a poster at the Royaute newsgroup.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Princess Marie Louise, the wife of the Prince of Bulgaria, gave birth at noon today to a son.

The New York Times reports that the little prince has been named Cyril. The princess is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Parma. She was 23-years-old when she married Prince Ferdinand. In January 1894, she gave birth to the couple's first child, a son, Prince Boris, the heir to Bulgarian throne.

A Te Deum was "sung in the chapel of the Russian Embassy" in Berlin to give thanks for the birth of Grand Duchess Olga, the first child of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra, reports the New York Times. Embassy officials and "members of the Russian colony in Berlin" were present for the service.

Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine and the Miss Margaret Geddes were married today in "a private wedding ceremony at St. Peter's Church in Eton Square, reports the Associated Press. The couple began a "sad honeymoon" to Ostend to identify members of the Prince's family were who killed yesterday in an air crash in Belgium.

The bodies of the groom's mother, Grand Duchess Eleonore of Hesse and by Rhine, his older brother, Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and By Rhine and his wife, Cecile, and their two young sons, Princes Alexander and Ludwig, were on board plane bound for London to attend Prince Ludwig's wedding. The plane crashed in a fog in Ostend, Belgium. Six other people were also killed in the crash.

It was also disclosed earlier today, that the late Grand Duchess Cecile gave birth prematurely "when the crash occurred." The stillborn infant was placed in a coffin the Ostend hospital, where the flower-wreath bodies lay until further arrangements are made.

The wedding had been scheduled for Saturday, but was moved forward due to the tragedy. Lord Louis Mountbatten, the groom' s first cousin, stood in as best man. The Duke and Duchess of Kent and German Ambassador Joachim von Ribbentrop were among the guests. The bride and most of the guests were dressed in black.

The Duchess of Kent and the late Grand Duchess Cecile were first cousins.

Prince Ludwig "gave the Nazi salute" as he left the church.

Hereditary Grand Duchess Cecile was due to give birth in six weeks. The premature birth was confirmed by the mortuary where six coffins were provided. The "sixth coffin contained the body of the baby."

Prince and Princess Ludwig are expected to arrive in Ostend this evening, and they will accompany the bodies to Darmstadt tomorrow.

Jewelry belonging to the late Grand Duchesses Eleonore and Cecile were found "among the wreckage." Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus' youngest child, Princess Johanna Marina, remained behind in Darmstadt.

Darmstadt is in mourning for the six deaths of members of the Grand Ducal family. All of the city's streets "are crowded with mourners, and flags bordered with black crepe are at half-staff."

Three Kings, "two of whom are also Emperors, and five Queens" had lunch today at Windsor Castle, reports the New York Times. It was a "larger assemblage of royalties than had ever taken place there."

The hosts were King Edward VII, who is also Emperor of India, and Queen Alexandra. The royal guests were the German Emperor and Empress (also the King and Queen of Prussia), Queen Maud of Norway and Queen Amelia of Portugal.

Grand Duke Adolf of Luxembourg died today at Schloss Hohenberg, the family castle in Bavaria, according to news reports. He was 88 years old.

Grand Duke Adolf was born in 1817, and was the ruler of the duchy of Nassau for twenty five years until 1866, when the tiny duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Adolf was forced to abdicate as he had sided with Austria in the war against Prussia. Austria was defeated.

For the next twenty-three years, Adolf lived quietly in Austria, as the heir to the Luxembourg throne, which was held by the King of the Netherlands.
In 1889, he received word that King Willem had died, and Adolf "immediately took the train for Luxembourg," where he "mounted the throne," and moved into the Grand Ducal Palace.

But Willem was not dead. Adolf, after "making an impressive state entrance" into Luxembourg, was forced to leave the country by taxi.

A year later, Willem III died. His only daughter, Wilhelmina, 10, ascended to the Dutch throne, and Adolf was finally able to succeed in Luxembourg (which did not allow for female accession.)

Grand Duke Adolf was married twice. His first wife, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna, died in childbirth in 1845. Six years later, Adolf remarried Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Dessau. She gave birth to give children, but only two lived to adulthood.

Adolf is survived by his widow, Adelheid, and his son, Wilhelm, and his daughter, Hilda, who is married to Duke Friedrich II of Baden.

Wilhelm succeeds as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He is married to Princess Marie-Anne of Portugal. They have six daughters: Marie Adelaide (1894), Charlotte (1896), Hilda (1897), Antonia (1899), Elisabeth (1901), and Sophie (1902).

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I am currently reading Dearest Missy, a wonderful compilation of letters between Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia and her eldest daughter, Marie, the future Queen Consort of Romania.

Mother and daughter corresponded for most of their lives. Duchess Marie's letters proved to be a lifeline for the young Marie, the wife of Prince Ferdinand, the heir to the Romanian throne.

Princess Marie, known as Missy, was very close to her sister, Victoria Melita, Ducky, who was married to their first cousin, Ernie, the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

On October 4, 1896 Marie wrote to her daughter: "....Ducky arrived here in great spirits and brought her very sweet and well-behaved baby. But naturally, she is terribly disappointed that she cannot have any amusements, no theatre even till after the funeral and they are just giving nice plays! Happily it is freezing again, so there will be some skating today and this is at least a pleasure, with her sejour in Russia and is enjoying life fully. She is too comic, for she discusses quite calmly the best time for her having again a baby and at what season of the year it would be less disagreeable. Fancy, the utter happiness off having a husband who is ganz damit einverstanden, as she says I really never have any children at all, as he is perfectly happy like we are now. Yes. Ducky, I said you would never find a man in a thousand, in ten thousand like this and you cannot appreciate enough or be grateful for it. How different my whole life would have been if I had been a happier youth and had not eternally to labour under maternal duties. From 74 to 85 I had been 8 times in family way and my youth and enjoyment in life was over forever then! I have very little to relax, as you can imagine how quiet our life is now."

Royal wives had few options regarding marital duties. Abstinence was largely the only form of birth control.

Duchess Marie's comments about her daughter and son-in-law are telling, especially about Ernie's lack of interest in sex. But this was not the first time that Marie wrote to Missy about Ernie's attitude toward sex. She wrote "what luck" for Ducky that Ernie is so little sinnlich, that he doesn't mind at all, is even utterly contented with the present state of things."

What is also interesting is Marie's comment about being pregnant eight times. She was the mother of one son, Prince Alfred, who was born in 1874, followed by three daughters, Marie, Ducky and Sandra, and then a stillborn son in 1879. The youngest child, Beatrice, was born in 1885.

Five full term pregnancies and one stillbirth. That leaves two previously unknown pregnancies, which were probably miscarriages and not full term pregnancies.

The reason for the lack of entertainment was death of Prince Henry of Battenberg, the husband of Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. ganz damit einverstanden translates to wholly in agreement about it.

I will be reviewing Dearest Missy on the RBN - Royal Book News blog by the end of November.

Archduchess Maria Annuciata of Austria has assumed the office of Abbess, reports the New York Times. She has received a "trousseau like that of a bride." The gala "toilets are in the tenderest color." She was driven to the church in a carriage "with six pairs of horses." Her mother followed in a carriage driven by four horses.

The Archduchess is dressed in a "black silk dress with a long train, and a black mantle trimmed with ermine." She wears a "gold-edged white moire ribbon," across her bosom. A gold medal with an image of the Virgin Mary, is attached to the ribbon, and on the other side is the initials of the founder of the Order.
During the ceremony, Maria Annunciata received the "ring, ducal crown and the crozier" of the office of the new Abbess.

The crozier is "gilded and richly set with diamonds." It was first used in 1309, when Hungarian Queen Jutta gave the crozier to King Wenzel of Bohemia as a gift for his sister, Kunigunde.

There are interesting reports coming out of London regarding "delicate negotations just about completed" for the marriage between Archduke Otto of Austria and Lady Winifride Alice, the youngest sister of the Duke of Norfolk. The Los Angeles Times is reporting exclusively on the rumors circulating in London regarding this possible marriage.

According to the rumors, Otto's mother, former Empress Zita, "was forced to decide on a British bride" because of the "tangle in Balkan politics in which schemes to restore the Magyar Monarchy are enmeshed." It has been suggested that Italian Premier Mussolini has "refused to hear of an alliance with a Bourbon bride and also opposed a union with the Italian House of Savoy."

Thus, Zita decided on a British marriage. It is also being reported that the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk will leave shortly with her daughter for the Continent "where they will be the guests of the exiled former Empress."

More than forty royals were present at the "picturesque ceremony" that united Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Princess Louise of Orléans. The couple were married earlier today at Wood Norton, Worcestershire, the country seat of the bride's brother, the Duke of Orléans.

The New York Times reports that the the "ceremony could have been a little more impressive if the Duke had been the occupant instead of the Pretender to the throne of France."

Political considerations meant that some invited guests could not come, but nearly forty relatives of the bride and groom were present for the ceremony, along with four hundred other guests, including the American ambassadors to the Court of St. James and France.

The couple were first marriage in a civil ceremony, which was performed by the Registrar at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Evesham at 8:30 in the morning. About a half dozen members of of the bride and groom's families, including the Duke of Orléans and the King of Spain, along with several witnesses, were present for the civil ceremony.

Although the family tried to keep this ceremony secret, "quite a crowd of people gathered near the little church and heartily cheered" Princess Louise, who is very popular among "the country people."

The religious wedding took place at noon in "an artistic temporary chapel" which was specially built for the ceremony. The bride was escorted into the chapel on the arm of her brother, the Duke of Orléans. The royal procession included, the King and Queen of Spain and the Queen of Portugal.

The grand ceremony concluded with the "celebration of mass," which was followed by the "time-old ceremony of kissing the hand of the bride."

Princess Louise wore a "superb lace veil of the finest point d'Angleterre designed by herself." The bridal bouquets were reproductions of pattern "worn by Marie Antoinette." The bouquets offered a "very distinctive feature, and not only form a rich border around the veil, but are also repeated at balanced intervals on the lower end, which will spread out over the court train. e

The veid is "five yards long by two yards wide," and was worn short in the front, "barely reaching the elbows," although the full length of the veil "will fall as a pendant ornament over the white satin folds of the dress."

A wedding breakfast followed the ceremony. The bride and groom and members of the royal families were served in the banqueting room, while the rest of the guests "gathered in the far-fraed museum situated in the grounds of Wood Norton."

The bride and groom received wedding gifts worth between $2,500,000 and $5,000,000. British and foreign detectives have been on duty night and day for the past few days to watch over the gifts.

Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is the son of the late Count of Caserta, the son of the late King Ferdinando of Naples. He was a widower, having married in 1901 to Infanta Mercedes of Spain, Princess of Asturias, the eldest sister of King Alfonso XIII. Mercedes died in childbirth after giving birth to a daughter, Isabel Alfonsa. They also had a son, Alfonso.

On October 17, 1901, Prince Carlos became an naturalized Spaniard.

Princess Louise is the youngest daughter of the late Count of Paris, who found on the Northern side during the civil war. He was a grandson of King Louis Philippe. The bride's oldest brother, the Duke of Orléans is the Pretender to the French throne. She has three sisters, the Queen of Portugal, the Duchess of Aosta and the Duchess of Guise. The Duke of Montpensier is the bride's youngest brother.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine are nearing "action for divorce," reports the New York Times, which based its dispatch on an article in the Cologne Gazette, a German newspaper.

The Gazette is stating that it has learned "authoritatively that no third party is involved," and the marital breakdown is largely due to the couple's incompatibility of their temperaments and tastes." The newspaper is also intimating that the "lack of a male heir also has a bearing on the case."

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, both of whom are grandchildren of the late Queen Victoria, have one young daughter, Princess Elisabeth.

The newspaper also notes that that Nicholas II of Russia has postponed a visit to Darmstadt because of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess's marital problems. Nicholas' wife, Alexandra, is Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig's sister. Grand Duchess Victoria Melita is also a first cousin to Nicholas II, as her mother, the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Nicholas' late father, Alexander III, were siblings.

King Christian X of Denmark is planning to leave Denmark this coming winter, as he is unable to endure the country's severe winter season, reports the New York Times. He will leave next week with his second daughter, the Dowager Empress of Russia, to visit the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland at their home in Gmunden, Austria. The Duchess is King Christian's youngest daughter.

From Gmunden, the king will travel to Livadia, and then onto Greece, to visit his youngest son, King
George.

In the Netherlands, Queen Mother Emma, after leaving the bedside of her daughter, Queen Wilhelmina, who has been "suffering from premature confinement," said that the "royal patient was better," according to the New York Times.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

News organizations are reporting that Queen Amalia of Portugal "gave birth to a son today." Both the queen and her infant son "are doing well."

This is the third child for the former Princess Amélie of Orléans and King Carlos of Portugal. The first child, Crown Prince Luiz Filipe was born in March 1887. A daughter, Maria Anna, died shortly after her birth in December 1887.

King Carlos and Queen Amalia were married at Lisbon on May 22, 1886. He succeeded to the throne only last month following the death of his father, King Luiz, on October 19.

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports that the "accouchement of the Czarina occurred this evening." Empress Alexandra Feodorovna gave birth to a daughter at 9 p.m. Both the "mother and child are doing well."

Court doctors "report the child to be a handsome girl." Empress Alexandra is "rapidly recovering." The infant Grand Duchess has been named Olga.

The former Princess Alix of Hesse and By Rhine married Emperor Nicholas II on November 25, 1894. Princess Alix was only 12 years old when she first met her future husband when both were guests at the marriage of her sister, Princess Ella, to Nicholas' uncle, Grand Duke Serge, in 1884. Six years later, they met again, and love ensued.

Alix, "an ardent Lutheran, was able to embrace the Orthodox faith without having to declare first that her "former religion to be accursed, nor that her conversion was due to the conviction that the truth lies not with her own but with the Russian Church."

The Holy Synod was "satisfied" that Princess Alix joined the Russian Orthodox Church "in order to be of the same religion as her husband."

The young empress is said to have "artistic tastes." She enjoys music and outdoor sports. She is said to have a "sweet disposition, sympathetic, and kind, and she had made many friends."

Princess Margaret is "beginning to walk," reports the Associated Press. The fourteen-month-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York "has taken her first steps holding on to to the hand of the nurse."

Monday, November 14, 2011

King George II of Greece is now en route to Greece after eleven years of exile. He departed London "amid royal honors and cheers from fellow countrymen and British friends," according a wireless report to the New York Times.

The Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Paul of Yugoslavia and Foreign Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare, were at the train station to see the king off. The king spent some time in the train station's waiting room with the Prince of Wales and the Dukes of York and Kent.

.George II was "smiling happily" as he walked with the Prince of Wales to the platform. There were cheers of "Vivas" and the "national cries of the Greeks. King George appeared surprised by the "warmth of the welcome" and he hesitated for a few moments before tipping his hat in acknowledgement to crowd.

Just before the train pulled out of the station, a young Greek girl ran forward to present the king with a posy of violets and yellow roses.

King George II will travel to Greece with his younger brother, Prince Paul, the heir to the throne, and their cousin, Prince Peter.

Before leaving London, the king issued the following statement: "On leaving England to return to my beloved country I take this opportunity of thanking the British people for their hospitality during my exile. I shall ever cherish pleasant memories of Great Britain and the unfailing kindness and courtesy I have met there. The ties that unite Great Britain and Greece are historic and it is my utmost earnest hope they will continue to be as strong in the future as they have been in the past."

The Dowager Queen Marie of Romania arrived in Munich earlier today for an "indefinite stay," reports the Associated Press. The Queen was met at the train station by her youngest daughter, Princess Ileana, and her new husband, Archduke Anton of Austria.

Princess Ileana and Archduke Anton were married earlier this year in Romania.

The Associated Press is reporting the death of the Countess of 'Eu, the daughter of former Brazilian emperor Pedro II and his wife, Theresa. The countess died earlier today in Paris. She was 75 years old.

The Countess was born Princess Isabel de Braganca, the heiress to the Brazilian throne until 1889, when her father abdicated, and Brazil became a republic. As regent, Princess Isabel signed a degree that abolished slavery in Brazil "without compensation to slave owners."

On October 15, 1864, Princess Isabel married Prince Louis Gaston of Orléans, Count of Eu. She is survived by her husband, and the eldest of three sons, Dom Pedro de Alcantara. Her two younger sons, Dom Luis and Dom Antonio, died in 1920 and 1918, respectively.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Clémentine de Rozières? In one of several interviews to commemorate his 30th birthday, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume acknowledged he is involved in a relationship with a foreigner. They have known each other for several years, but only became a couple six months ago. I was told that the name was first published on the Noblesse et Royautes blog without any verification.

Clémentine studied at the Institut d'Etudes politiques de Paris (2001-2006), and now works as the assistant to the general manager for Proctor & Gamble in Luxembourg.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011

Today is the 30th birthday of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg. He has given several interviews and is the subject of numerous profiles. The heir to the Luxembourg throne has admitted he has a girlfriend. He acknowledges that they have been a couple for six months, but have known each other for five years. She is not from Luxembourg, but has visited the country, and, according to Guillaume, she is fond of the country.

RTL, a Luxembourg TV channel, has a fantasy: the foreigner is Princess Eugenie of York. The writer of the article acknowledges there is a nine year age difference between Guillaume and Eugenie, the younger daughter of the Duke of York and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson. There is also the issue of religion. Guillaume is Roman Catholic, and Eugenie is a member of the Anglican church.

The writer thinks that Eugenie would make a very beautiful grand duchess. This is pure fantasy on the part of the journalist. It is unlikely that Princess Eugenie is fluent in a second language, and Luxembourg has three official languages: German, French and Letzburgesch, and Guillaume's bride will be expected to converse in all three languages, at some point.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Czar Nicholas II has employed a French nurse for his baby daughter, reports the Marquise de Fontenoy. This has caused a lot of excitement and attention because it is the "first instance on record of a foreinger being employed for this purpose by any reigning royal house."

The nurse was hired for Nicholas' second daughter, Grand Duchess Tatiana, as his eldest daughter, Grand Duchess Olga, was nursed by the young Empress herself. It was also the first time in history in Russia that "an Empress had nursed her own child." This was seen as the "inauguration of a new era in Russia," where even the "grave and ponderous London Times" devoted an entire column to the manner of the Empress' breastfeeding. She had received the "cordial support" from her grandmother, Queen Victoria, who had nursed all of her children, while her eldest daugher, Empress Friedrich, "followed her example."

King George II of Greece, after living for nearly twelve years in exile, agreed today to return to his throne "that he held for only fifteen uneasy months in 1922-23."

The New York Times reports that the king "announced his acceptance in the drawing room" of the Greek Legation in London.

George, wearing sombre morning dress, "listened with mounting emotion as he was told that 90 per cent of the Greek people had voted for his return to the throne." His face was "deathly white and eyes clouded with tears," when he spoke:

"Gentlemen, it is with the deepest emotion that I receive you -- representatives of the National Assembly, the government, and the armed forces of the country -- bringing to me the joyful message that by the unanimous will of the Hellenic people I am invited to assume once more the exercise of my royal duties.
"In obedience to the imperative call of my country, I will come home among you. In so far as it concerns me I will in the full consciousness of my obligations loyally carry out my duty in drawing the curtain over the recent past and looking forward only to the future.. But through you I appeal to all conscious of their own responsibilities to extend to me their unqualified support so we may together go forward in cooperation and concord.

"A soldier myself and the son of a soldier, I gladly accept the greetings of the armed forces of the nation as well as the assurance of their devotion to duty as the first auspicious beginning of this support which I particularly ask of all, so that with the help of God, we may see our Greece prosper."

Afterward, the king, accompanied by his brother, Paul, his sister, Katherine, and his cousins, Princess Paul of Yugoslavia and Prince Peter, went to the Greek Orthodox church to give thanks.

In the afternoon, King George II went to Buckingham Palace for lunch, where he expressed "his gratitude" to King George V and Queen Mary, "who befriended him in his darkest days." It is beleived that the British sovereigns "have done more than one else to make his restoration possible."

Without the personal support that the King received from Buckingham Palace, "it would hardly have been possible for his restoration to have been finances by a London banker -- as is commonly believed -- for the British government pulled wires in the Near East to return him to the throne."

From now one, there "will be a close tie between the royal houses of Greece and Britain," which may be "especially convenient for Britain some day in the event of naval trouble in the eastern Mediterranean."

King George II has said that he is a "quiet person who would like nothing better than to be a constitutional monarch," like his British cousin. But no one knows how this will turn out due to Greece's "turbulent politics." Will the king's dream come true or will this "new adventure in monarchy end in bloodshed and tragedy?"

Prince Nicholas of Romania and his new wife, Joana, are staying at a villa near Bucharest, according to court circles, reports the Associated Press.

King Carol II has requested that his younger brother come to the palace in Bucharest, but Nicholas "sent his regrets. Prince Nicholas does not want to "risk his brother's displeasure at being defied.

The next move is up to King Carol, who could order his brother's arrest, "or even take more drastic measures." But many expect that the king will not act harshly, as he said to be fond of his younger brother, and has often said "I owe the throne to him."

The press is censored in Romania, so very few details about Prince Nicholas' marriage and the King's "exact sentiments" have been leaked out. The king is expected to "persist in attempting to annul the marriage" by the destruction of the records.

The AP also reports that King Carol is suffering from "ulcerated tonsils and bronchitis" but his condition not dangerous.

"Trustworthy information" has been received in London, according to a dispatch to the New York Times that Empress Alexandra of Russia has undergone a Cesarean operation and the "consequences have been most deplorable." The empress' physicians have been in consultation all day, and tonight, the "men of science can no longer conceal" from Emperor Nicholas "that he must be prepared for the most serious developments in the case."

It has been announced in official circles that there "is no hope whatsoever" for the Empress' recovery. A letter from St. Petersburg, which was dated on October 15, announced that Alexandra "was in seclusion at Tsarskoe Selo." The Empress is expected to remain the birth of her child.

Empress Alexandra was born on June 6, 1872 at Darmstadt, and was given the names Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice Alix. She was the second youngest child of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and By Rhine, and his wife, Princess Alice, third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Princess Alix met her future husband at the wedding of her sister, Ella, to Nicholas' uncle, Grand Duke Serge, in 1884. At the time, Alix was 12 years old. They were married on November 26, 1894, only weeks after the death of Nicholas' father, Alexander III.

Now a year after the marriage, the Empress is expected to die, as the Cesarean operation was deemed necessary, but only as a last report measure.

The Associated Press is reporting the marriage of Prince Nicholas of Romania and Joanna Dumitrescu-Doletti, a divorced Romanian woman who is not of noble blood. The marriage took place "after a wild dash by automobile" in an attempt to escape the disapproval of Nicholas' older brother, King Carol II.

The mayor of Tohani, a small village near Bezeu, said he was "compelled" by the Prince to perform the ceremony, which took place yesterday.

As soon as Carol heard about the marriage, he ordered "all records of the ceremony destroyed." The Bucharest government is denying that "any marriage had taken place."

Prince Nicholas is the second son of the late King Ferdinand and Queen Marie. He is known to be one of the fastest drivers in Romania, and he "burned the highways and country lanes at breakneck speed for 125 miles before he could be frustrated by the king," according to press reports, which came from "border sources.

Tohani's mayor knew he could not marry the prince without permission of the king. But as he was "confronted by the determined" groom and his "slim, dark haired companion," he felt he could not "decline the honor, so he nervously tied the knot."

But as soon as the newlyweds got into their car and sped off, the mayor regained his senses, and made a frantic telephone call to Bucharest, staying that "I married Prince Nicholas, who made me do it."

Prince Nicholas met his wife on a highway, where he stopped to help her fix a flat tire. He fell in love, and he decided he had to marry her but. He went to visit his brother, who flatly denied his request.

Nicholas reminded Carol of his role in the king's "dramatic and triumphant" return to Romania in June 1930. But Carol would not change his mind, so Nicholas departed from the room in anger.

Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia gave birth to a son at 9:30 this morning. This is the second son for the Crown Princess and her husband, Crown Prince Wilhelm, who were married in June 1905. Their first son, Wilhelm, was born July 4, 1906.

On November 16 at Wood Norton, in Worcestershire, where the exiled Duke of Orléans resides, he will give away in marriage his youngest sister, Princess Louise, to Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the widower of Infanta Mercedes of Spain, Princess of Asturias, eldest sister of King Alfonso.

This marriage will "constitute another matrimonial link between two of the several branches of the historic house of Bourbon, according to a report in the Chicago Daily Tribune.

Prince Carlos is about to "seek consolation for his bereavement in another matrimonial alliance." He belongs to the Neapolitan branch of the Bourbon family. He has a son, Alfonso, and a daughter, Isabel, from his first marriage, and his son was the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne until a few months ago, when Queen Ena gave birth to a son. But should anything happen to the infant Prince of Asturias, six-year-old Prince Alfonso would once again become the heir presumptive.

Members of the varied branches of Bourbon are expected to gather at Wood Norton to celebrate Princess Louise's marriage to Prince Carlos, who remains a member of the Spanish royal family.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the wedding will be attended by forty members of European royal houses, including the Queens of Spain and Portugal. Wood Norton can house only fifty people, but "in six weeks temporary buildings have been erected, furnished and decorated from Paris and Rome."

The celebrations will take place over four days. The "beautiful chapel" is one of the new buildings, as is a new "spacious banqueting hall," which cost more than $150,000. The work has been done under the direction of the Duke of Orléans, "with the assistance of an eminent French architect and decorators from Paris and Rome."

The Duke of Orléans is making it "a point of honor" that his sister shall be married "with as much state as if she were really the sister of a reigning King."

Newspapers in Madrid report today "without comment" on the proposed "project for the marriage" of King Alfonso to Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Duke Paul, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Three members of the Belgian royal family took part in Sunday's New York City Marathon.

Princess Astrid, who was listed as Astrid, Princesse de Belgique, ran the 26 miles 385 yards in five hours and 52 minutes. Her husband, Prince Lorenz, completed the course in 4 hours and 23 minutes, while their eldest son, Prince Amedeo, breezed past the finish line in 3 hours and 39 minutes.

Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg-Schwerin arrived today in Berlin. According to a dispatch from the New York Times, the Duchess's "engagement to King Alfonso will soon be announced."

Duchess Marie, a Roman Catholic, was born at Venice, in 1884, and is "nearly two years older than the Spanish king." She is the only daughter of Duke Paul of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, uncle of the reigning duke, and Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz.

Two of her cousins are married to heirs to the throne Duchess Cecilie recently married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, and her sister, Alexandrine, is the wife of Prince Christian of Denmark, the eldest son of the Crown Prince.

King Alfonso "desired to marry an English princess," and there were rumors that he was engaged to marry one of the daughters of the Duke of Connaught. But apparently "some obstacle, State or personal, interfered" with Alfonso's plan. If he succeeds in marrying Duchess Marie "the political results to the union will be almost as satisfactory to Spain" as if he married a member of the British royal family. Duchess Marie is "closely related" to half of Europe's ruling families.

After Princess Margaret's death, the apartment was briefly opened to the public. I was very lucky to be in England when the apartment was open for tours. The Annigoni portrait of Margaret was still hanging on the wall. This was before Margaret's children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, sold many of the Princess' possessions and jewels at auction.

The apartment has since been used for several exhibitions at Kensington Palace, including the current Enchanted Princesses exhibit, which closes in January 2012.

Lady Edwina Snow gave birth to a daughter, Zia, at the Portland Hospital in London in mid-October. The former Lady Edwina Grosvenor, younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, married TV reporter Dan Snow last November.

The baby is named for her great-great-grandmother, Lady Zia Wernher (nee Countess Zia Torby), whose Christian name was Anastasia.

One "little Princess who might some day bear the weight of the British Empire upon her shoulders," is at the top of the list of the eight bridesmaids. Nine-year-old Princess Elizabeth, and her younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose, 5, are two of the bridesmaids. The two princesses are the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of York and are third and fourth in line to the British throne, ranking ahead of the Duke of Gloucester.

The other bridesmaids are Lady Mary Cambridge, 11, a grandniece of Queen Mary; Lady Elizabeth Scott, 13, the daughter of the bride's brother, the Earl of Dalkeith; Miss Ann Hawkins,7, and Miss Claire Phipps, 14, each a daughter of Lady Alice's sisters. The final two bridesmaids are Lady Angela Scott, the bride's sister, and Miss Moyra Scott, a cousin.

Lady Alice and Lady Angela are "inseparable companions," and when they were children, they made a pact "that whoever married first should have the other as a bridesmaid."

Lady Alice's bouquet will include a sprig of myrtle from a tree in the Frogmore gardens at Windsor.

The Duke of Gloucester, third son of King George V and Queen Mary, and Lady Alice, were scheduled to marry at Westminster Abbey, but following the death of the bride's father, the Duke of Buccleuch, the wedding arrangements were scaled down, and now the marriage will take place at Buckingham Palace.

Now available for purchase: a well-researched, footnoted article on the life of Grand Duke Michael Mikahilovich of Russia, whose marriage to Countess Sophie von Merenberg was unequal, but a love match. I wrote this piece some years ago for Royalty Digest, and now again available. The price is $5.00 (and will be sent to you as a PDF). Just click on the Buy Now link for purchase. Thanks.

The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins

My article, The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins, is now available through Kindle on Amazon, in all the Amazons' Kindle stores. This link is for US Amazon. The price is $9.99. Just visit your Amazon and go to the Kindle store, search for my article. The article runs more than 50 pages! And who were the Gleichens: Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (nephew of Queen Victoria) and his family. His marriage to Lady Laura Seymour was considered unequal, and his wife and children were created Countesses and Count Gleichen. A German title but very English people .... Feodora, Edward, Valda and Helena .. all talented and interesting people. True junior royals.

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Do you like discussing the royals or new ... or old books? Have a question you want answered? The Royal Musings - Royal Book News Facebook page is back again. It is a closed group so you will need to apply. No gossip allowed ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/321823117954486/

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Readers can shop for books and other items through Amazon by using my portal. I earn a few pennies for every item that is purchased here. You can access Amazon through the book links, my store or the Amazon search boxes.

You will be amazed by what you can order through Amazon. You can use the Amazon search box, the stores or the links to purchase items - and every purchase counts! This includes third party items such as book dealers who sell on Amazon.

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Copyright notice

All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the prior approval of Marlene A. Koenig. You can, however, provide a link to the blog or to a post on the blog. Please credit Marlene A Koenig and Royal Musings. Thanks

Sources

The sources consulted for this blog include the New York Times, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and The Times. I also consult books and other materials in my personal library. All the photos come from my personal collection, unless other noted.